The best free PC software
The best free PC software programs aren’t about the cost (or lack thereof), they’re about a fresh opportunity – collections of code that put the dumb hardware in your computer to smart use, tools that can accomplish anything from balancing your household budget to helping cure cancer.
Stocking your PC is an intensely personal task. But some are so helpful that we heartily recommend them to everybody. These free PC programs – a mix of must-haves and delightful auxiliary apps – deserve a place on almost any computer. There are times when a paid alternative makes sense, however. We’ve pointed out the circumstances where an upgrade over the free offering is warranted, along with our recommendation for the category.
1. A BETTER BROWSER
Before you roll up your sleeves and start slinging software around, make sure to snag your web browser of choice. Using Windows’s default Internet Explorer or Edge browser when you’re accustomed to something else feels like wearing somebody else’s shoes.
That said, our money’s actually on Edge, which earned top honours in our best browser showdown, barely nudging out Google’s just-as-superb Chrome.
Should you get a paid version?
Maybe. Browsers are largely free, and mostly fantastic already. For Windows users there is Ghost Browser (fave. co/3NWfUrZ), which lets you sandbox separate online identities while viewing them all in a single window. At $120 (around £100) per year, however, you’ve got to really need what Ghost Browser’s offering.
2. NINITE
Ninite (fave.co/3O8EntG) makes loading up
